4-Day Private Desert Tour: Marrakech to Casablanca
- Duration
- 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Tour type
- Private
- Tour category
- Desert Tours
- Availability
- To be confirmed by MTT operations.
- Languages
- English
About this tour
4 Days / 3 Nights from Marrakech to Merzouga and Erg Chebbi. From EUR 315 per person.
Tour highlights
- Camel trek over the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun goes down
- A night at a luxury ensuite desert camp, real beds and hot showers included
- UNESCO-listed Aït Ben Haddou, walked with a local guide
- The Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m over the High Atlas
- Todra Gorge, where the limestone walls stand 300 metres high
- Camel ride at sunrise over Erg Chebbi
- The Road of a Thousand Kasbahs, and the oasis at Skoura
- The Ziz Valley on the way north, with date palms and kasbahs set against cliffs
- Barbary macaques in the cedar forests of Azrou
- Ifrane, the town Moroccans call "Little Switzerland"
- Drop-off either at Mohamed V Airport or at your Casablanca hotel
Route at a glance
4 Days / 3 Nights · Marrakech → Erg Chebbi
- Marrakech Starting point
- Merzouga
- Erg Chebbi
About this tour
This is a one-way private tour that collects you in Marrakech and leaves you in Casablanca, built for travellers who fly into one city and out of the other. Day 1 climbs the Tizi n'Tichka pass into the south, stops at UNESCO-listed Aït Ben Haddou, then carries on past Skoura's oasis and Todra Gorge before the Dades Valley. From there the road runs east through Rissani and Erfoud to Merzouga, where camels take you into the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunset. The northbound leg follows the Ziz Valley to Midelt, then the Azrou cedar forests and Ifrane before the drop in Casablanca. Transport is private throughout, an air-conditioned 4×4 or van, and your driver-guide speaks English. The fare covers three half-board nights, one of them at a luxury ensuite desert camp. Prices start at 315 EUR per person.
Day by day itinerary
Print this itinerary- Day 1 of 4
Marrakech - Tizi n'Tichka - Aït Ben Haddou - Skoura - Todra Gorge - Dades (7h30 pickup, 6h drive)
Your driver collects you from your Marrakech hotel or riad at 07:30. The morning belongs to the High Atlas, with the road winding up to the Tizi n'Tichka pass at 2,260 m before dropping towards Aït Ben Haddou, where a local guide walks you across the river and through the Berber architecture of the UNESCO-listed village. The afternoon carries you past the oasis at Skoura, on to Tinghir and into the Todra Gorge, whose limestone walls rise 300 metres above the road, and lunch is taken there. As the light softens, the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs takes you into the Dades Valley. Dinner and the night are at a hotel in the Dades Valley with ensuite rooms and air conditioning, on a half-board basis.
- Day 2 of 4
Dades - Rissani - Erfoud - Merzouga - sunset camel trek - luxury camp (5h drive)
Breakfast first, then east. Rissani comes early, the town where Morocco's Alaouite dynasty began, followed by Erfoud and its fossil trade, and then Merzouga. Late in the afternoon you swap the vehicle for a camel and ride into the Erg Chebbi dunes as the sun drops, reaching a luxury ensuite camp where the tents are private and come with real beds, quality linens and a hot shower. Dinner is Moroccan and served under the stars, with Berber drumming afterwards.
- Day 3 of 4
Merzouga - Ziz Valley - Midelt (5h drive)
You are up before first light to ride a camel over the Erg Chebbi dunes at sunrise, with breakfast waiting back at camp. The route then turns north and leaves the sand behind, following the Ziz Valley past date palms, fortified kasbahs and tall cliffs. Midelt closes the day, a farming town set where the Sahara gives way to the Middle Atlas. Check in there for dinner and the night at a hotel with ensuite rooms and air conditioning, half-board.
- Day 4 of 4
Midelt - Azrou (cedar forests and Barbary apes) - Ifrane - Casablanca (6h drive)
After breakfast the drive continues north into the Middle Atlas and the cedar forests around Azrou, where the trees are ancient, Barbary macaques come close and there is time to stop for photographs. Ifrane follows, known for its alpine-style architecture and cooler air, and lunch is taken there. The last stretch runs northwest to Casablanca, with drop-off either at Mohamed V Airport or at a Casablanca hotel.
What's included
Included
- Private air-conditioned 4x4 or van with your own English-speaking driver-guide, 4 days
- Collection from your hotel or riad in Marrakech
- Night 1: a hotel in the Dades Valley, ensuite room with air conditioning, half-board
- Night 2: a luxury ensuite camp at the Erg Chebbi dunes, half-board, hot shower
- Night 3: a hotel in Midelt, ensuite room with air conditioning, half-board
- The sunset camel trek on Day 2
- the sunrise camel ride on Day 3
- Drop-off at Casablanca airport or at your Casablanca hotel
Not included
- Midday meals and drinks
- Site entrance fees, settled on the spot
- Gratuities for your driver-guide
- Travel insurance, which we recommend
What to bring
- Light layers
- Something warm for the desert
- Shoes you can walk in
- A hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Jeans, which are kinder on a camel
- A small backpack for the camp night, since your main luggage stays in the vehicle
Frequently asked questions
Who does this itinerary suit?
Anyone flying into Marrakech and out of Casablanca who wants the Sahara without driving the same road twice.
Where does the trip actually end?
Either at Mohamed V Airport or at a hotel of your choosing in Casablanca. Tell us your flight time and Day 4 is timed around it.
How does it compare with the Casablanca to Marrakech version?
It runs the route in reverse, so Aït Ben Haddou and Todra Gorge fall on Day 1 rather than Azrou and Midelt.
Is Aït Ben Haddou part of this trip?
Yes, on Day 1 once you are over the High Atlas. The tour in the opposite direction takes the Middle Atlas road and leaves it out.
What are the Azrou cedar forests?
Middle Atlas cedar woodland, old trees and Barbary macaques among them, and a green change on Day 4 after three days of desert.
Does the price include the luxury camp?
It does. The ensuite camp at Erg Chebbi is the standard, and its tents are private, with real beds and hot showers.
Is an airport drop in Casablanca possible before my flight?
Yes. We arrange the drop at Mohamed V departures, so send us your flight time when you book.
What should I pack for this route?
Light layers, something warm for the desert, comfortable shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Jeans work well for camel riding, and a small backpack covers the camp night while your luggage stays in the vehicle.
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